


I can't trust you any farther than I can throw you

by Codango



Series: Epic tales of Sindrian romance [2]
Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Bad Flirting, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fights, First Kiss, Water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-06
Updated: 2015-02-06
Packaged: 2018-03-10 18:21:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3299411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Codango/pseuds/Codango
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sharrkan held his hands up. He was soaked head to toe, thanks to her exploding water borg. White hair fell over golden eyes, and his robe was off one shoulder. His skin was dark and shining, and she hated herself.</p><p>“I — I’m sorry,” he began. “Can I just —? I’m sorry.” Sharrkan sloshed closer. “I completely deserved that.”</p><p>“You did.” Yamuraiha crossed her arms. What’s this? Doesn’t matter. Not falling for it again.</p><p>“I overdid it with the teasing.”</p><p>“That too.”</p><p>Sharrkan was inches from her now. Yamuraiha could hear the drops falling from his clothes into the pool. She had to tilt her chin up to look him in the eye. It is completely unnecessary to stand like this. But his eyes weren’t teasing, and his lips were parted, and…</p>
            </blockquote>





	I can't trust you any farther than I can throw you

Masrur always had an enormous appetite. It befitted a man his size. However, when he took his seventh helping of baked fish for breakfast, Yamuraiha raised an eyebrow.

“See anything interesting?”

A lean young man seated himself next to her at the table. The magician considered glaring at him, but the effort would have been too great this early in the day. “How can he eat that much?” she muttered instead. “It’s about all I can do to keep coconut milk down.”

Sharrkan followed her gaze again to the giant Fanalis. “You’re concerned with Masrur’s eating habits? Look at him.” He threw an entire boiled egg into his mouth as he spoke, and Yamuraiha rolled her eyes. “The man’s huge.”

“I’m well aware,” she said loftily as she took another sip.

The Sindrian swordsman glanced at her sharply. “Well, you should also be aware that he handles his liquor better than you do. You had, what, three glasses of wine last night?” He leaned his elbows on the table and smirked. “No wonder that dishwater is all you can manage this morning.”

Yamuraiha felt her face get hot. “At least I know when to quit,” she hissed. “You were draping yourself all over every woman who got within six feet of you. Before you vomited onto Lord Sinbad’s shoes. It was disgusting.”

“Mm, sounds like a personal problem.” He reached for an orange and began peeling it.

Yamuraiha clenched her jaw and turned her attention back to the red-haired man seated at the far edge of the covered pavilion. “Oho. That’s interesting,” she mumbled to herself.

“Mm? What’s interesting?” Sharrkan’s mouth was full of orange slices.

Tiny Morgiana was walking up to the buffet laden with breakfast for the household members at The Summit. It had not escaped Yamuraiha’s notice that Masrur had stopped plowing through calories to watch her like a mongoose watches a snake.

Her plate neatly arranged with an egg, some bread, and a few pieces of fruit, Morgiana turned around to survey the tables.

Masrur shot to his feet.

Yamuraiha’s mouth dropped open. “Oh. My. God.”

“What? What’s oh my god?”

But Yamuraiha kept staring with wide eyes over the rim of her cup. She could see from here that Morgiana’s face went nearly as red as her hair. But — Yamuraiha gasped — the Fanalis girl held her head high and walked to her mentor.

Masrur waited until Morgiana had seated herself before he seemed to remember that he could sit back down too. The two began eating in awkward silence.

Yamuraiha leaned her chin in her hand, a gleam in her eye. “What an… interesting couple.”

Sharrkan curled his lip dubiously. “You can’t mean Masrur and Alibaba’s tiny fighting girl?” He turned to look at the woman at his side. “Can you?”

“Oh, open your eyes, you useless trout slayer. Why can’t you ever see what’s going on?” And Yamuraiha drank the rest of her coconut milk huffily. “Something obviously happened last night.”

“Yes, well, you wouldn’t know, would you? Seeing as how you passed out in front of the fire before anyone else did.”

She glared at him, and her head throbbed. “I would ask you if you’d seen anything, but I’m pretty sure all I’d get is whether or not your favorite girl last night had her navel pierced.” She stood from their table, done with the conversation and ready to concoct something for this damn headache back in her tent.

“She didn’t, by the way.”

Yamuraiha stared in disbelief as Sharrkan caught up to her. “I wasn’t actually asking,” she groused. She pulled her hat low as they walked into the sunlight. _I wonder if it was one of the women from the Fanalis Corps._ They were stunning people. Powerful and athletic and… didn’t use the magic he loved to make fun of.

She could see Sharrkan’s muscled calves from under her hat if she just glanced to her left. She’d definitely noticed that a couple of the red-haired women had shared some drinks with him last night. Yamuraiha grimaced. He could be so fucking charming when something was in it for him. She’d left to sit quietly by the fire so she wouldn’t have to listen to his lines.

 _Well._ Yamuraiha squared her shoulders and quickened her pace. All the sensual muscle in the world couldn’t get rid of a hangover, but _she_ damn well could. _Maybe I’ll fix up something for Morgiana while I’m at it._ It wasn’t exactly her area of expertise, but every female magician knew enough to manage her sex life.

“Whoa, where are you going in such a hurry?” It was simply a matter of lengthening his stride for Sharrkan to keep up.

“I have work to do,” she said brusquely, not looking at him.

“You have a hangover, and you’re going to throw some magic at it.” His voice was smug.

Yamuraiha shot him a glare, trying to ignore the dull throb behind her eyes. “I’m so lucky I can take care of myself like that.” She pulled her robe around her dismissively.

“Me, on the other hand, because someone I know won’t actually make me a hangover cure, I go swimming,” Sharrkan continued.

“Swimming?” Yamuraiha lifted the brim of her hat.

“Well, not swimming exactly,” he corrected himself. “More like… lounging. In water. It’s very relaxing.”

She tugged her hat back down. She had seen him soaking wet on numerous occasions. Hell, she’d been responsible for it during some of their more heated arguments. So she was only flushed because it was fucking hot outside. And because she felt like shit. “You’re lecturing me about water?”

“Yamu…”

She stopped but didn’t look back at him.

“Come for a swim with me.”

After a moment’s stunned pause, Yamuraiha spun on her heel to face him.

Sharrkan returned her gaze with a cocky grin, hands on his hips, hair falling over his eyes. “How is this a hard decision for you? You practically _are_ water.”

She furrowed her brow, trying to figure out where the insult was. “Is that the line you use to get women to do what you want? ‘How is this a hard decision for you?’”

Sharrkan rolled his eyes. “It’ll make you feel better, I promise.”

“Ooo, that’s a good one.” She walked up to him, matching his arrogant stance. “Did it work last night?”

He blushed — _blushed_ — and crossed his arms. “Why are you so interested in last night?”

Yamuraiha recoiled instantly. “I’m not interested at all! I just…” She waved her staff indignantly. “It’s hard to take you seriously, that’s all!”

“What’s there to be taken seriously about?” His voice rose. “I’m inviting you to do something that I think you'll like. Why is this a big deal?”

“Oh, because you _never_ think about anything other than your own pleasure perhaps?” She was in his face. “This could be one big joke to get Yamuraiha half-clothed in a pool, for all I know!” Yamuraiha narrowed her eyes. “Did Aladdin put you up to this?”

“Where did that come from?” he sputtered. 

She glared at him.

Sharrkan slapped a hand to his forehead. Then, after a moment’s pause, he sank gently to one knee and put a hand dramatically to his chest. “Yamuraiha of Magnostadt, renowned magician of the Eight Generals,” Sharrkan intoned. “Will you do me the incredible honor of allowing me to show you the breathtaking natural wonders that are the tidal pools of this island?”

Her mouth dropped open.

“As you experience these elements of harmony and tranquility in the comfort of all the clothes that you may wish to wear, it is my hope that you —”

“Oh god, all right, stop. Please.”

“I wasn’t done yet.”

“ _I’m_ done.” Yamuraiha straightened her hat. “I just need to get a couple things from my tent. There could be some natural specimens worth bringing back to Sindria.”

Sharrkan stood quickly. “So you’re coming?”

“You haven’t won anything!” she tossed over her shoulder.

* * *

 

Sharrkan glanced behind himself. Yamuraiha was gawking at everything on the rocky path down to the tidal pools. She seemed to have forgotten about her headache.

“Oi.” He rattled the bag of glass jars she’d made him carry. “If you keep stopping every five minutes to scrape up algae, we won’t have any time to relax before we have to head back for lunch.”

“You just ate breakfast,” she responded mildly, kneeling beside a rock that looked like every other rock on the path. “There’s absolutely no rush. Can I have one of those please?” She held out a hand.

Sighing, he walked back to her and placed a small jar in her outstretched hand. He watched as she carefully plopped a tiny crab with some algae into it. Her back was to him while she worked. Her shoulders looked incredibly pale in the bright sun.

Yamuraiha looked up with a start as his shadow fell over her.

“You’re going to get a sunburn if you keep this up,” he snapped, a bit more harshly than he’d intended.

“Mm.” She tugged absentmindedly at her robes. It did absolutely nothing to fix anything.

“You’re so out of it when you’re working, Yamu,” he complained. “And you accuse me of not noticing anything.”

“Mm.” She was scribbling out a label for the jar.

Sharrkan noticed a lot actually. He’d noticed when she’d asked for a third glass of wine last night, and he’d thought about reminding her what her morning would probably be like. But she tended not to listen to him, so he’d kept quiet and noticed when she went off to the fire by herself. _Bet she was already feeling bad then._

He glanced further down the path. The tidal pools were just a few hundred yards away now. His feet ached to be in them, and — he offered Yamuraiha a hand as she stood — he’d be lying if he wasn’t anxious to see what she thought of them.

“Do you _see_ this little guy?” she cooed, sticking the jar with the crab in his face. “Isn’t he cute?”

Yamuraiha was gazing happily at the speckled black crustacean. Her eyes were sparkling. There was mud on her cheek. Her cheeks were bright pink, and her smile was —

Sharrkan jerked backward. “Looks ecstatic to be in that tiny jar. Come on.”

She gave a slight pout. “He’ll be just fine until we get back to Sindria. And then he’ll be in a fancy aquarium with all these other little goodies.” She reached out to pat the bag slung over his shoulder.

Sharrkan wasn’t very clear on what happened next.

He heard a breathless “Shit!” and then a slender hand was sliding inside his airy robe and across his abs before Yamuraiha slammed into his back.

Every hair on his body was on end as they stood there, motionless in shock, her hand on his stomach, her cheek against his arm.

“S-sorry!” she screeched and scrambled away from him. “The… the rocks! Are so.. slick! I…”

He turned to her, but Yamuraiha wasn’t even looking at him. Her hat was on the ground, her hair was mussed, her face was as bright red as he’d ever seen it — and he’d had occasion to see her upset rather frequently. He tended to make sure of it. It was a good look for her.

“M-maybe I should take off my shoes,” she stammered. “I mean, I’m going to anyway, right? And the rocks are more slick than sharp, so…”

Sharrkan forced himself to look away as she bent over to slip off her shoes. He’d more or less gotten used to her style over the years — he wasn’t a huge fan of clothes that smothered either — but. He coughed and turned his back completely to her. _Sometimes…_

“O-okay.” Yamuraiha’s voice was quiet. “Let’s go?”

He reached back for her hand silently. And blew out a breath when she finally took his.

The pools were shallow and sun-dappled, so Sharrkan knew the water would be warm. Still, he held her hand tightly as she lowered first one foot, then the other onto the sandy floor of a small pool.

Holding the hem of her robe up to her knees, Yamuraiha made a delighted sound, and Sharrkan couldn’t help but laugh. “Feeling guilty about giving me such a hard time now?” he teased.

She sniffed as she knotted her robe up to one side. “Your own fault. You shouldn’t be so hard to trust.”

Sharrkan flopped down gracelessly on a large rock, splashing more than necessary just to hear her protest. “Maybe you have trust issues.”

“I trust people quite freely.” Yamuraiha waded to the far side of the pool. Her robe was already two inches into the water, despite being tied up. He rather doubted she cared.

“Just not me.”

She was poking at something. “You can’t possibly blame me.”

He frowned. “Well, I delivered today, didn’t I?” Sharrkan gestured to the palms, the white sand, the pools lined with black rock. “This is nice, isn’t it?”

“This is _weird_ ,” Yamuraiha corrected. “I still haven’t totally decided you’re not up to something. Now if it was Masrur or Spartos telling me they wanted to show me a tidal pool, I wouldn’t think twice.”

“Why would they be different?” _Did I ask that too fast?_

Yamuraiha sank to her knees in the pool, forcing her robe under water to her waist, to get a better look at whatever it was that occupied her attention. “Because I’m pretty sure Masrur doesn’t see the point in duplicity, and Spartos is terrified of me.” She peered into a crevice. “He wouldn’t dare try anything funny.”

The water was soaking into the light fabric of her robe, and the tips of her blue hair were fanning out on the clear surface.

He lowered his lashes. “What do you think I’m going to try that’s funny?”

“I have absolutely no idea.” Yamuraiha glanced over a bare shoulder at him. “Hence the lack of trust.”

He swallowed and tried to slow his pulse. “So you agreed to come with me because…?”

Her smile was sweet. “Because with all this water at the ready, I’m quite certain I could take your ass if I needed to.”

 _I really…_ really _want you to come back over here._ “Not to change the subject, but what are you tormenting over there?” _Aside from me?_

“Oh!” Her eyes lit up. “I think I’ve found an _Asterias rubens_. He doesn’t seem to be very interested in coming out to say hello though.”

He knew what he’d say if this were any other woman. _“Why don’t you come over here and say hello instead?”_ Any other woman would have giggled and slid up next to him. Sharrkan closed his eyes. First, Yamuraiha would stare at him like he’d gone mad, and then she’d either laugh in his face or try to slap him for making fun of her.

He looked at her helplessly.

“Ha, what’s that face for?” Yamuraiha laughed and stood, though not without some difficulty. Her robes were sodden, and the knot was coming undone. She sloshed back over to him and collapsed next to his leg, again waist-deep in the pool.

Sharrkan watched her, chin in his hand, as the magician leaned her head back onto a rock.

“Mmf.” She squirmed, eyes closed. “Maybe not the most comfortable thing in nature.”

He had two hands behind her shoulders before he knew what he was doing. “Here,” he said, trying not to sound embarrassed. “Don’t make things worse than they have to be.” And he slid behind her, her head in his lap.

She was awfully still. He forced himself to stay frozen where he sat, certain that if he moved first, she’d be gone. They were so quiet, and Sharrkan wished for the sound of the ocean to work its calming magic.

Yamuraiha drew in a deep breath and raised her arms to rest on his legs.

Sharrkan looked up in the canopy of trees and closed his eyes. “There. Isn’t that better?” He fought to keep his voice normal.

“Mm.”

He leaned over slightly to sneak a look at her face. Her eyes were closed, her chin tilted up to the sunlight. God, but her neck was… long and smooth and… her fingertips made delicate rings in the water.

Her hair was falling out of her usual style. Sharrkan tried to tuck a strand behind her ear but clumsily knocked against her shell magoi jewelry. _Shit!_ “Sorry, sorry,” he murmured.

“Dammit, Sharrkan, be gentle.” Her voice was low and sleepy, and it sent a thrill from his heart to where her hands draped over his knees.

He thought briefly about retorting out of sheer habit. But then her head fell to one side with the tiniest sigh, and he couldn’t take his eyes off the long curve of pale skin from her jaw to her shoulder.

If he rested his hand there… Sharrkan’s eyes widened. He very nearly covered the span. He felt the fluttering of her pulse, felt her… sigh?

Yamuraiha tilted her chin back a fraction more, and Sharrkan followed the movement with light fingertips. He followed her jawline, curved back to her ear, and Yamuraiha shivered slightly as he traced a vein along her neck to the tip of her shoulder.

Sharrkan grinned. _She likes her neck touched?_

He felt her hand trace down his shin into the water. Slim fingers traced wet paths back up his calf to just under his knee, and Sharrkan nearly doubled over.

Yamuraiha laughed. “You’re ticklish.”

“Hah.” He tried to disguise catching his breath as a laugh. “You just caught me by surprise.” Sharrkan straightened. “You may recall I didn’t react at all when you stuck your hand down my robe earlier.”

Sharrkan watched the flush creep up her neck. “I did not _stick my hand_ down your robe.” She sat up and away from him. “You know that was a complete accident, you buffoon. For gods’ sake, I already apologized.”

Yamuraiha moved to get to her feet, but Sharrkan grabbed her wrist and sank into the pool behind her. She lost her balance and sat heavily in his lap, splashing them both. “I never said…” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “That I was mad about it.” _Dear heaven, she could absolutely kill me right now. Or worse, never stop laughing at me._ He was grateful she couldn’t see his face.

She yanked at his arms to no avail. “You looked shocked enough! Like I was trying to rip your clothes off or something!”

 _Oh god. Don’t, Sharrkan, do not, you are already so far away from where you want to be —_ “Well, I always figured you’d be unable to help yourself sooner or later,” he said breezily. “I suppose I just didn’t expect it to be today.”

An explosion of water blew his arms off her and threw him on his back in the shallow pool.

Yamuraiha stood over him, arms akimbo, robe and hair dripping, eyes blazing.

_Oh. Fuck._

* * *

 

She stared down at him, trembling. More with embarrassment than fury, really. Dammit! Dammit all to hell! He’d lulled her into his _arms_! And she’d _relaxed_ and… and thought that maybe… and then it was all just to make _fun_ of her. Like every other damn time before.

“This…” she choked, hating that she couldn’t keep her voice steady. “This is why no one — why I don’t trust you any farther than I can throw you.”

Yamuraiha looked down at her robes. She was filthy. Sopping wet and covered in sand, and she had no idea where her hat and shoes were. _You look like you’re twelve. An angry twelve-year-old._

She reached for her hems. The most dignified retreat she could hope for would be to say nothing else.

“Yamu —” She heard the swordsman scramble to his feet but couldn’t look at him. “Yamuraiha. Please.”

He stood in front of her, shin-deep in water. She looked up, pissed, and she hoped he knew it. And if he thought it was directed at him, so much the better.

Sharrkan held his hands up. He was soaked head to toe, thanks to her exploding water borg. White hair fell over golden eyes, and his robe was off one shoulder. His skin was dark and shining, and she hated herself.

“I — I’m sorry,” he began. “Can I just —? I’m sorry.” Sharrkan sloshed closer. “I completely deserved that.”

“You did.” Yamuraiha crossed her arms. _What’s this? Doesn’t matter. Not falling for it again._

“I overdid it with the teasing.”

“That too.”

Sharrkan was inches from her now. Yamuraiha could hear the drops falling from his clothes into the pool. She had to tilt her chin up to look him in the eye. _It is completely unnecessary to stand like this._ But his eyes weren’t teasing, and his lips were parted, and…

“I am… so bad with words,” he whispered.

When his lips met hers, Yamuraiha had to reach out a hand to keep her balance. He gripped her upper arms, pulling her into him.

Her eyes, wide at first in shock, fluttered closed, and her hands settled at his chest. His kiss was gentle and controlled. So easy to just let him move against her mouth as he wished.

Sharrkan pulled back slightly. He swallowed, waited for her to react.

Yamuraiha reached for the back of his neck. Water from his hair trickled through her fingers as she urged his mouth down to hers again.

Sharrkan crushed her to him, one arm tight around her waist, the other hand tangling into her hair. He sighed into her mouth, and she cupped his jaw with her hands, feeling it move as he tasted her.

It wasn’t the kiss she’d imagined from him. Sharrkan was loud and crass and reckless. But… Yamuraiha combed her fingers through his hair, and she blushed at the pleased rumble from his chest. This was soft and careful and magical. She shivered as his hand crept down the back of her neck.

When he ran a hand down her bare shoulder, caressed her arm at the edge of her robe, Yamuraiha put a hand to his chest. “Enough,” she whispered, though the mental image of his own robe tossed aside on the rocks was tempting.

Sharrkan’s hands stilled. “... Up to you.” But his voice was quiet, and his smile was soft. He took a half step back, and Yamuraiha hugged herself against the strange coldness.

 _What just happened?_ She watched him step easily onto dry rock, watched him hunt around for her hat, her bag, her shoes, her staff.

She couldn’t get mad. There was no place to get mad. She could be confused as much as she wanted, and no doubt she’d spend hours analyzing every moment in her lab, but right here and now —

Yamuraiha stepped out of the pool and reached for her things. Sharrkan plopped her hat unceremoniously on her head and slung the bag over his shoulder once more. “You can have your shoes back when we get off these rocks,” he said, offering her his arm.

 _Is this how he normally does that?_ She was still trying to get her heart rate back to normal. _And now what?_ she wondered as they walked, squelching, up the path. He was far more experienced than she was — she’d always had more of a talent for books than for people. Yamuraiha sighed. _I just wish I knew how weird things are going to get. And how much I’m going to regret all this._

They walked in silence, and when they neared the camp, Yamuraiha let her hand fall from his elbow. He didn’t try to reclaim it.

“Goooood grief, what happened to you two?” Pisti, the smallest of the eight generals, hollered at them from where she lounged in a hammock.

Sharrkan responded with a bellow of laughter that made Yamuraiha blink. “Found out what an exploding water borg feels like!”

“Shaaaaarrrkaaaan, you’ve got to stop bothering her.”

“Anyway, Yamu.” Sharrkan handed the magician the bag of specimen jars. “Let me know when you want to get your hands dirty again.” Her eyes shot up to his, and he completely lost his ability to hold back his shit-eating grin. “I’m sure I’ve got a lot to learn.”

“I’m sure there’s a lot you’ll never get the chance to learn,” Yamuraiha said crisply. _Shut up, shut up, shut UP, what are you DOING—!_

“Really? I feel like I learned a lot today. For example —”

“Pisti can’t be interested in any of that.”

“What?” Sharrkan looked at the small general in disbelief. “Did you already know the scientific name for a common starfish?”

Pisti and Yamuraiha both stared at him open-mouthed.

“ _Asterias rubens_.” He glanced innocently at Yamuraiha. “That’s right, isn’t it?”

**Author's Note:**

> After writing this, I stumbled upon the fact that the following people were not actually canonically AT the summit on the deserted island:  
> * Masrur  
> * Sharrkan  
> * Yamuraiha
> 
> Hahahahahahahaha. Shit. Oh well! Canon divergent it is then!
> 
> [@codango](http://codango.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr
> 
> [Marcella Christie](http://marcellachristie.com/) for my alter ego


End file.
